Automatic electric self-posting



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For/my Fzuvdx Swnzy I r 12M: I i 22 l I Z AL\ [LECTKL g 5d M June 20,1944.

J. w. ROUPRICH 2,351,707

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SELF-POSTING TIMER AN): 5TPPING 0R INVENTOR. jg/155Wjiaafxlcfi;

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Patented June 20, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .wrom'rro memosaw-memo rman Jameswrltouprlch, San Francisco, Calif. Application April12, 1940, Serial No. 329,286 2 Claims. (Cl. 181-18) The presentinvention relates to improvements in automatic electric self-postingtimers, and it consists of the combinations; constructior'is andarrangements hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide an automatic electricself-posting timer that may be used in any case where time or numbersare required to be registered. It is possible to post counts atintervals, these counts .to remain posted with the final count until theentire deviceis reset.

The device lends itself admirably to the timing of horse races, where itis desired to instantly post the time for difierent portions of therace. will instantly flash the time on a time board as the leading horsepasses a given point in the race. The device will accurately gi'vethe-time within a fraction of a second and does away with the necessityof using a stop watch or relying on an operator to post the time on theboard.

In the drawings attached hereto, I have-shown a mile and one-half raceas an example, and the The posting is done automatically and,

board will not only post the time for thecomplete race, but will alsogive the time for intermediate distances. A separate electric counter isused for each of the intermediate distances and also for the completerace. All of the counters are electrically connected to a masterelectric impulse generator and, therefore, no errors can creep into thesystem as the diflerent intermediate distances are posted because all ofthe counters are simultaneously set in motion at the start of the race.The time is instantly. automatically and electrically posted as eachdistance pole in the race is passed. In the event that one of thecounters should get out of order for any reason, it will not afl'ect theother counters. The device makes use of electric eyes, or any otherdevices of standard practise, such as switches, relays, etc., to startthe'operation of the counters and to post the various times on theboard. The device'will post automatically and electrically in lightednumbers the time required to cover any distance to be measured. Thedevice may be quickly reset ior timing another race.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification,and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in theappended-claims. My invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this application, in which:

Flgurelisaplanviewofaracetrachshowmg my device diagrammatically andproperly arranged around the track;

Figure 2 a front elevation which the numbers for tances are flashed;

Figure 3 a diagrammatic view or one of the counting networksillustrating the various banks of rack relays;

Figure 4 a wiring diagram showing the electric circuits; and

Figure 5 a wiring diagram showing the transfer circuits between theelectric counters.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should beunderstood that various changes or modifications may be made within thescope of the claims hereto annexed without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of of the time board on thedifferent racing disa horse racing track indicated generally at A.

Around this track I have placed electric eyes designated generally at B.As many electric eyes as, desired may be used, and I have shown asufficient number in a mile and one-half race to give the times forone-fourth mile, one-half mile, three-fourths of a mile, one mile, oneand oneeighth miles, one and one-fourth miles, and the mile and one-halfor the finish of the race.

In addition to these electric eyes, there is one used to start thedevice functioning at the start of the race. In the present device, themile and one-half race is run on a mile track and therefore the startingelectric eye for the race will also be used to give the time for themile distance.

A time board C is shown in Figure 2, and this has four banks of lightsD, E, F and, G for each distance indicated on the board. At the bottomof Figure 2, I have indicated what each bank of lights represents. Thebank D gives the time in fractions of seconds; the bank E in seconds(units); the bank F in seconds (tens); and the bank G in minutes. Thereare seven distances listed on the board and there will be a separateelectrical counter for each distance. I have indicated the sevencounters diagrammatically at H in Figure l. and the distances at H onthe board C, shown in Figure 2.

In Figure 3, I diagrammatically show one of the electrical counters H,and this counter carries banks of relays for flashing the numbers on theboard in the manner illustrated in the wiring diagram shown in Figure 4and which will be described. I

An impulse generator indicated generally at l in Figure 4 iselectrically connected to a battery or rectifier current sourceindicated generally at 2 when a switch 3 is closed. The switch 3 may beclosed when the starting gate J is opened to permit the horses to startrunning, or when the horses pass the starting electric eye for the race.The impulse generator i can be timed to give impulses for any desiredtime interval. In the present application an impulse will be given everyone-fifth of a second. The rectifier 2 is connected to a source of 110v. A. 0. current shown at l.

The horse racing track indicated diagrammatically at A has the electriceyes B disposed at desired points along the track. In the wiring diagramof Figure 4, I have shown the starting electric eye for the race and oneother electric eye, which may be placed at the finish of the race, orfor any intermediate point. The time board C shown in Figure 2 has theseven distances H listed thereon and a separate electric eye B must beplaced along the track at each of these distances. It is necessary toshow only one of the electric eyes in the wiring diagram to show theoperation and it is not necessary to show all seven. Since the mile andone-half race is run on a mile track as shown in Figure 1, certain ofthe electric eyes will be used for indicating two different time periodsand this will be described hereinafter.

The timing circuit is closed by breaking a light beam directed against aphoto-electric cell. The source of light for the cell consists of alighted lamp 5, see Figure 4, that will project light rays through alens 6 and onto a photoelectric cell 'I. When the light beam is brokenby the horses racing thereby, a photo-electric relay indicateddiagrammatically at 8 is energized and will momentarily open anormallyclosed switch 9. The switch 8 will open a circuit to a relayIII, which in turn will permit a normally-closed switch a in series withthe relay coil to open and to mechanically close a switch II that willelectrically connect a stepping or rotary relay or switch indicatedgenerally at I! with the impulse generator I. A stepping switch I! andassociate mechanism will be provided for each electrical counter. Thewiring diagram. indicates the impulse generator connected to a magnetll, forming part of the stepping relay l2 and the magnet will attract anarmature I! each time the generator I sends out an impulse. The armaturewill rotate a ratchet I! step by step that may have any desired numberof teeth thereon. In the present case, the ratchet is designed to make acomplete revolution every ten seconds and since the armature will beactuated each fifth of a second, the ratchet will have fifty teethformed thereon.

The ratchet II will intermittently rotate a shaft indicated generally atit by broken lines, and this shaft will move a switch arm l1 step bystep over a series of terminals or contacts II. There will be more thanone switch arm I! used in the device in actual practise. For example, inthe time board C shown in Figure 2, there are four number-indicatingbanks of lights D to G, inclusive, ior each of the seven distances Hindicated on the board. There will be a separate switch arm I! for eachone of these groups of lights, four in all. for each of the sevendistances H from one-iourth of a mile to a mile and one- Since therewill be fifty notches on the ratchet 15 there will also be fiftyterminals, I8 circumferentially arranged around the shaft IS. The arm I!will pass from one contact or terminal to the next one every fifth of asecond and therefore will indicate time in fifths of a second. Fiverelays will be connected to the fifty terminals for also indicatingfifths of a second. Only one relay i9 is shown in the wiring diagram forpurposes of clarity, although five are diagrammatically shown in Figure3. The relay i9 is connected to the number one terminal in the circle offifty terminals 18. Since there are fifty terminals, every fifth onewill be electrically connected to the same relay l9. In like manner thezero," two, three and four terminals IB will be electrically connectedto their respective relays, shown diagrammatically in Figure 3, and allsimilar to the relay I9.

Inthe same way, an electric switch arm (not shown) will successivelycontact terminals (not shown) and circumferentially arranged forindicating seconds of time so that a new terminal will be contacted bythe arm for each second oi elapsed time. These second-representingterminals will be in electrical connectionwith the ten rack relays I90.shown diagrammatically in Figure 3. Another switch arm (not shown) willcontact with another circle of six terminals (not shown) for indicatingevery ten seconds of elapsed time, this arm passing from one terminal toanother every tenseconds. These six tensecond-indicating terminals areelectrically connected to the six rack relays 19b shown in Figure 3diagrammatically. Finally there is still another switch arm (not shown)movable over a circumferential row of terminals (not shown), eachterminal representing a minute of elapsed time.

It should be noted that when the arm l'l moves over iive contacts, itwill close a circuit that will cause the second-indicating arm toadvance one contact and when the latter moves through ten contacts, itwill close a circuit to advance the ten-second-indicating arm to advanceone contact. The minute-indicating arm will advance one contact when theten-second arm passes six contacts.

For the purpose of a horse race only nine minutes need be indicated onthe time board, because most races are run in a little over two minutesor less, this depending upon the distance run and the speed of thehorses. This last row of ten terminals are electrically connected to therack relays |9c shown diagrammatically in Figure 3. If desired, the armsindicating seconds, tens of seconds and minutes may be mounted on one ormore separate shafts that will rotate at a slower speed than the shaft15. It will be seen that than provided relays l9, I911, 19b and lie thatwill indicate time in minutes, seconds and I fractions of seconds forany time interval from one-fifth of a second up to nine minutes,fiftynine seconds and four-fifths of a second.

I will now describe how the elapsed time is automatically posted andinstantly flashed onto the board C the moment the horses pass one 0! theelectric eyes disposed along th track. The relay I! that is inelectrical connection with the switch arm I1 is energized and will closeone or more switches 20, that in turn electrically connectnumber-forming lights 2| with a source oi current when a power relay 2!is closed. In other words, the relays is in all of the four banks ofrelays shown in Figure 3 will close in proper sequence, but the lights2| will not flash the time until the power relay 22 is closed. Eachrelay in each bank of relays II, "a, IN; and lie is wired to itsassociate series of lights 2| to flash the number of the relay instantlyon the boar,d the moment the power relay 22 is closed. The wiringdiagram illustrates the switches 20 connecting certain of the lights 2|to flash the number "1" as soon as the power relay 22 is energized andconnects these lights 2| to a source of current indicated as 110 v. inthe drawings.

Assume that the race has started and that the horses just break thelight beam normally projected by the lamp 5a onto an electric eye placedalong the track at a certain distance, the beam usually passing throughthe lens 8a and striking the photo-electric cell la. The photo-electricrelay 8a will momentarily open a normally-closed switch 23 that in turnwill cause a second relay 24 to permit a normally-closed switch 23a toopen and to mechanically open switch 25 and close switch 28. The closingof the switch 28 will cause the power relay 22 to close its switch 21and connect certain of the lights 2| with the 110 v. current andimmediately light or post a number corresponding to the number of therelay i8 closed for that particular instant of time. The opening of theswitch 25 will instantly stop the stepping relay l2 from furtherfunctioning and the relays i9, Ha, I 9b and I90 that are in electricalconnection with their arms I! will remain closed so that their switches20 will cause the desired numbers to be instantly flashed or posted onthe board when the switches 26 and 21 close.

As already stated, there is a separate electrical counter H, includingthe wiring diagram shown (except for the starting electric eye and theimpulse generator), for each of the seven distances H to be timed in therace. The first counter will flash its time on the banks of lightsdisposed opposite the one-fourth mile distance on the board. The secondcounter will be set in operation when the horses pass the startingelectric eye and it will flash the elapsed time when the horses pass theelectric eye associated with the one-half mile distance.

In a like manner, all of the counters will concurrently function andsuccessively post their times on the board C, and the instant the raceis over seven distinct elapsed times will be visible from the board. Theelectric eyes may be increased or decreased in number, this dependingupon the results desired.

It is best new to describe how the same electric eyes can be used forposting the time for two different distances on the track and how one ofthe electric eyes will not post the time the first time the horses passit, but only will post for the second passing. For example, in the miletrack illustrated, the start of the mile and one-half race will takeplace at the electric eye beam marked Start in Figure 1, and this sameeye will give the time when the horses have completed one mile of therace. The electric eye marked l /8 mile" will not function to post thetime when the horses first pass this eye, but will function only for thesecond passing. In a like manner, the one-quarter mile light beam willalso function for the timing of the mile and onequarter, and theone-half mile electric eye will also give the time for the finish of therace.

Transfer circuits The wiring diagram is shown in Figure foraccomplishing the above result, and consists of transfer circuits whichwill prevent certain counters from posting their time until the electriceye immediately prior in sequence has been tripped. The electric eyes Bfor the start of the race, the three-quarter mile post and the one andone-eighth mile post are shown in this view. Parts of the wiringcircuits in Figure 5 that are similar to the parts in Figure 4 will begiven like reference numerals.

The electric eye assembly shown at 8, 8, l and 8 in Figure 5 is the oneused to start the race. The relay 8 not only opens switch 8 when therace starts, but also opens switch 8b. The switch 8 is in electricalconnection with the starting relay i0, while the switch 8b is inelectrical connection with a switch of the one mile relay 24a. Althoughthe switch 8b will be momentarily opened when the beam from the lamp 8is tripped at the start of the race, the three-quarter mile relay willprevent the switch 80 from opening and this will preclude the one milerelay from posting the time at the start of the race.

It will be noted that a locking switch 28 in the three-quarter milerelay is normally closed and is in parallel with the switch 82).Therefore, when the switch 8b is temporarily opened by the tripping ofthe light beam, the circuit through the switch 9c still remains closedbecause the switch 28 is closed. This will prevent the one mile relayfrom functioning at the start of the race and posting the time on theboard C.

When the horses first move past the electric eye associated with the oneand one-eighth mile distance, the momentary tripping oi the light beamwill have no effect to cause the one and one-eighth mile relay to postthe time on the board. The horses must make one complete lap of thetrack and again pass the one and oneeighth mile electric eye before thetime for this distance will be posted.

The means for preventing the mile and oneeighth relay from functioningwhen the horses have run only One-eighth of a mile comprises a lockingswitch 28a in the one mile relay. The one mile relay 24a keeps thelocking switch 28a closed and since this is in parallel with a switchlid in the one and one-eighth mile relay, the switch 9e will remainclosed and prevent the time from being posted.

The one-quarter and one-half mile light beams will post the times forthese two distances in the manner already described and the counters forthe mile and one-quarter and the finish of the race will be preventedfrom posting in the same manner as the mile relay was held from postingat the start of the race.

We now come to the three-quarter mile post in the race. The electric eyebeam 28 will be tripped and this will open the relay switches 28b and230. The switch 26a will close a circuit to the power relay 22 to flashthe time and the switch 28 will open. When new the horses trip the onemile light beam (which is also the starting light beam), the switch 28is open and therefore the momentary opening of the switch 8b will causethe one mile relay to post the time by closing the switch 26b to thepower relay.

The locking switch 28a in the one mile relay will open and thereforewhen the horses pass the mile and one-eighth post and trip the electriceye beam 01' this post for the second time, the switch 811 will open andsince the switch 281: is already open, the switch is will also open andactuate the one and one-eighth mile relay. The

22 to flash the time on the board.

It is not necessary to show the transfer circuits for the mile andone-fourth and the finish of the race because the light beams at thesetwo distances, when tripped for the second time, will close circuits forgiving the time for the mile and one-quarter distance and also for thefinish of the race, The circuits will be similar to that alreadydescribed for the mile and mile and oneeighth relays.

Resetting circuits After the race has been run, it is possible to resetthe entire mechanism for the running another race. I use a homingcircuit for this purpose and show it in Figure 4. This circuit willquickly bring the arms l'l in all of the electric counters H back tostarting position. An arm 30 is connected to the shaft l and rides overan arcuate conductor strip 3| in all positions, excepting startingposition, where it contacts a dead terminal 32. When it is desired toreset the arm H, a reset switch 33 is manually closed by a plunger 34,or any other means, and this will close a circuit through the arm 30 anda switch 35, the latter being carried by the armature ll. The movementof the armature II will open and close the switch 35.

The plunger 34 also closes reset switches 36 and II which bridgeswitches 91: and 23a respectively and thus establishes continuity of thestarting and stopping circuits, which will cause the arm 30 to stepwiseadvance around the strip it until it comes to the dead terminal 32 andthe arm 30 through the shaft It will return the arm l1 back to startingposition. In this way all of the arms ll for all of the electriccounters H will be returned to starting position. Each time the switch35 closes in the homing circuit,

the magnet II is energized and attracts the armature N, advancing theratchet I! one tooth. The opening of the switch 35 de-energizes themagnet i3 and permits a spring to return the armature for again closingthe switch 35. This operation is repeated until the arms l1 and 30 arereturned to starting position.

I claim:

1. In an automatic electric self-posting timer for races, a plurality ofcooperating light beams and electric eyes disposed at intervals aroundan endless race track, a timed electric impulse generator, electriccounters for each electric eye,

2,ss1,7o7 switch 28b will close a circuit to the power why certainelectric eyes having more than one counter associated therewith, meansactuated by one or the electric eyes when obscured at the start of therace for electrically connecting all of the counters with the impulsegenerator, time-posting means for each counter, means associated witheach counter and its electric eye for disconnecting the counter from theimpulse generator the instant that the light beam of the electric eye isobscured and for connecting its counter with the associated time-postingmeans for indicating the total time between the obscuring oi thestarting light beam and the obscuring of the beam associated with thecounter, and transfer circuits interconnecting certain counters formaking the associated light beams non-eflective for those counters untilthese beam have once been obscured, whereupon the second obscuring ofthe beams will disconnect the associated counters from the impulsegenerator and immediately connect them to the associated time-postingmeans.

2. In an automatic electric self-posting timer for races, a plurality ofcooperating light beams and electric eyes disposed at intervals aroundan endless race track, a timed electric impulse generator, electriccounters for each electric eye, certain electric eyes having more thanone counter associated therewith, means actuated by one of the electriceyes when obscured at the start of the race for electrically connectingall of the counters with the impulse generator, time-posting means foreach counter, means associated with each counter and its electric eyefor disconnecting the counter from the impulse generator the instantthat the light beam of the electric eye is obscured and for connectingits counter with the associated time-posting means for indlcating thetotal time between the obscuring oi the starting light beam and theobscuring of the beam associated with the counter, transfer circuitsinterconnecting certain counters for making the associated light beamsnon-effective for those counters until these beams have once beenobscured, whereupon the second obscuring oi the beams will disconnectthe associated counters from the impulse generator and immediatelyconnect them to the associated time-posting means, and means forresetting the counters back to starting position.

JAMES W. ROUPRICH.

